No agreement yet between junta and UWSA on BGF

by Kyaw Kha
Monday, 16 November 2009 21:50

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Unrelenting attempts by the Burmese ruling junta to transform the ‘United Wa State Army’ (UWSA) into the regime controlled ‘Border Guard Force’ (BGF), notwithstanding, no agreement has been reached yet, observers said.

Though the ruling junta’s delegation comprising Chief of Military Affairs Security (MAS) Lt. Gen. Ye Myint, Commander of North Eastern Military Command Maj. Gen. Aung Than Htut, Commander of Bureau of Special Operation - 2 (BSO-2) Lt Gen Min Aung Hlaing on November 14, met a UWSA delegation led by Vice-Chairman Xiao Min Liang, Vice Chief-of-Staff Aike Lon at Tang Yan of Northern Shan State, no agreement was reached.

“The meeting did not bear any fruit as the junta did not compromise on its stand. Neither was the Wa accommodative,” Aung Kyaw Zaw, an observer close to the UWSA, told Mizzima.

Junta officials met UWSA thrice since August to bring the estimated 30,000-strong Wa Army under Burmese Army’s control.

The Wa, which does not want to jeopardize its autonomy, accepted the junta’s offer in principle but they want to transform their army eventually. It has told the regime categorically that it cannot implement the regime’s plan this year.

But the junta has set a deadline of December this year.

On the same day, the junta delegation also met the delegation of Shan State Army (North), another ethnic armed ceasefire group, led by Chairman Maj. Gen. Lwei Mung, Vice-Chairman Maj. Gen. Kai Hpa and Col. Gwang Tai on the Border Guard Force issue, but failed to achieve any agreement.

The SSA-N conducted an opinion poll among its ranks and file, but only a minority accepted the junta’s offer.

Lt. Gen. Ye Myint was dissatisfied with the outcome of the meeting and urged SSA-N to mobilize its rank and file again so that they accept the offer, Sein Kyi, Assistant Editor of the Thailand-based Shan Herald News Agency (SHAN), who closely monitors on the ceasefire groups in Shan State, told Mizzima.

“You must be ready to give us a correct answer. You understand the State’s [junta’s] Cetana [good intentions]. Don’t you? You know well what provisions there are in the new constitution as you also attended the [constitution drafting] National Convention,” Sein Kyi quoted Ye Myint as saying.

The SSA is holding a two-day meeting starting November 16, at its headquarters and briefing its members on the recently concluded meeting with the junta delegation, sources said.